The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is a 2008 animated fantasy feature film, and the direct-to-video prequel to Disney's 1989 film The Little Mermaid. Directed by Peggy Holmes, the film's story is set before the events of the 1989 film and the 2000 sequel, where all music has been banned from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica by King Triton, and his youngest daughter Ariel attempts to challenge this law. The film features the voices of Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Sally Field and Jim Cummings. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on August 26, 2008. The film contradicts certain events of the television series, implying that it is an independent installment of Disney's The Little Mermaid franchise. Plot King Triton and his wife, Queen Athena, rule over the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which is filled with music and laughter. They have seven young daughters, the youngest of whom is Ariel. One day, the merfolk relax in a lagoon above water, and Triton gives Athena a music box. However, a pirate ship approaches. Everyone escapes except Athena, who is killed by the ship when she tries to rescue the music box. Devastated by the death of his wife, Triton throws the music box away, and bans music from the kingdom. Ten years later, Ariel and her six older sisters live under a strict routine maintained by their governess, Marina Del Rey and her assistant, Benjamin. Marina hates being the girls' governess and longs to be Triton's attaché, a job currently filled by Sebastian the crab. Ariel hates their current lifestyle, which brings her into arguments with her father. One day, Ariel encounters Flounder, a young fish whom she later follows to an underground music club. She is overjoyed by the presence of music, and is shocked when she sees Sebastian performing there. When her presence is revealed, the entire band stops playing and hides, believing Ariel will tell her father about them. Ariel sings a song explaining her love of music and the remembrance of her mother, and she joins the club with an oath. Ariel returns to the palace, and her sisters confront her over her disappearance. She explains where she was, and the following night all seven girls go to the club to have fun. Marina finds them, she later reports their activities to Triton, who destroys the club with his trident. Sebastian, Flounder and the band are sent to jail, while Marina gets the job as the king's majordomo. Triton locks his daughters inside the palace, resulting in Ariel asking him why music is forbidden, but he refuses to answer and angrily shouts, I will not have music in my kingdom! Distraught, Ariel argues that Athena wouldn't have wanted music forbidden, and swims to the bedroom, with her sisters following. That night, she leaves Atlantica, and frees the jailbirds. Sebastian leads them to a deserted place far from the palace where Ariel finds Athena's music box, as Sebastian hoped. Ariel and Sebastian decide to return to Atlantica to bring the music box to Triton, hoping that it will change his mind, as he has not remembered how to be happy after Athena's death. On the way back, they are confronted by Marina and her electric eels. Marina wants to stop them so she will retain her position of power, and struggle ensues. It ends when Marina barrels towards Sebastian, but Ariel pushes her away, getting hit in the process. Triton arrives in time to witness this, and blames himself. He sings the lyrics of Athena's Song, and Ariel wakes up. Triton restores music to Atlantica, and appoints Sebastian as Atlantica's first official court composer, much to everyone's glee. Everyone rejoices except Marina and Benjamin, who are sent to jail. Voice cast * Jodi Benson as Ariel * Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian * Jim Cummings as King Triton and Shelbow * Sally Field as Marina Del Rey * Parker Goris as Flounder * Tara Strong as Adella and Andrina * Jennifer Hale as Alana * Grey DeLisle as Aquata and Arista * Kari Wahlgren as Attina * Jeff Bennett as Benjamin the manatee and the Swordfish Guards * Lorelei Hill Butters as Queen Athena (sung by Andrea Robinson) * Rob Paulsen as Ink Spot the octopus and Swifty the shrimp * Kevin Michael Richardson as Cheeks the blowfish and Ray-Ray the manta ray Songs * Athena's Song (performed by Andrea Robinson) * Just One Mistake (performed by Sally Field) * Jump in the Line (performed by Samuel E. Wright, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings, Alvin Chea, Oren Waters, Rick Logan and Chris Garcia (a cappella version performed by Samuel E. Wright, Jodi Benson, Parker Goris, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings, Alvin Chea, Randy Crenshaw, Oren Waters, Rick Logan and Chris Garcia)) * I Remember (performed by Jodi Benson) * Just One Mistake Reprise (performed by Sally Field) * I Will Sing (performed by Jeannette Bayardelle) International releases For information about international dubs and releases, click here.